2/24 WWE MAIN EVENT REPORT: Mansoor vs. Drew Gulak, Elias in tag team action, more

WWE MAIN EVENT TV REPORT
FEBRUARY 24, 2021
HULU STREAMING TV
REPORT BY MIKE F. MEYERS, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Announcers: Tom Phillips, Samoa Joe

REASONS TO WATCH…

• A rare Main Event appearance for Mansoor.

(1) MANSOOR vs. DREW GULAK

During Mansoor’s entrance, the announcers said he was the winner of the “largest battle royal in WWE history,” but made no mention that this took place at Super ShowDown in Saudi Arabia.

The wrestlers locked up and twisted into a corner where the ref broke them up. They exchanged holds in the middle of the ring until Mansoor rolled up Gulak for a one-count. Mansoor dragged Gulak to the mat and applied an arm bar. Gulak clubbed Mansoor to escape and delivered a chop to his chest. Gulak ran the ropes but Mansoor caught him and landed an inverted atomic drop. He followed up with a knife-edge chop and a drop kick, sending Gulak to the mat.

Mansoor rolled up Gulak again and quickly landed a standing moonsault, then covered for two. Mansoor applied a chin lock / arm bar. Gulak got to his feet and body slammed Mansoor, then cradled his own left elbow for a moment. Gulak clotheslined Mansoor in the corner, then threw him to the mat and covered for two before applying a chin lock.

Mansoor got to his feet and smoothly arm dragged Gulak to the mat. Mansoor elbowed Gulak in the gut and landed a series of chops. He leveled Gulak with a flying clothesline, then hit a spinebuster before covering for two. Mansoor hit Gulak in the face with a rising kick, then covered for another two-count. Mansoor planted Gulak with a bulldog from the second turnbuckle. Mansoor stood up with determination on his face and leapfrogged the top rope onto the ring apron. Gulak got to his feet and Mansoor hopped back over the top rope, this time taking Gulak to the canvas with a neckbreaker. Mansoor covered for the three-count.

WINNER: Mansoor by pinfall in 5:05.

(Meyers’s Analysis: This was decent and an intriguing snapshot of Mansoor’s capabilities. It’d be nice to see these two work a longer match on Main Event.)

-Main Event recap session:

• Replay of Miz / Hurt Business in-ring confrontation from Raw
• Replay of Charlotte / Asuka vs. Baszler / Jax from Raw
• Replay of Charlotte / Ric Flair backstage confrontation from Raw
• Replay of Strowman vs. Lashley from Raw

(2) HUMBERTO CARRILLO & AKIRA TOZAWA vs. ELIAS & JAXSON RYKER

Both teams made quick tags to start. Tozawa dumped Elias over the top rope, then leveled him on the floor with a running dive through the ropes. Ryker checked on Elias, allowing Carrillo to run in and take him out with a flying cross body off the ring steps. Elias and Ryker writhed on the floor while Tozawa and Carrillo posed in the ring as we cut to break.

Back in the ring, Tozawa leveled Elias with a flying reverse elbow. Ryker tagged in and smashed Tozawa with a spinebuster, then covered for two. Samoa Joe commented, “That looked more like a soul buster.” Elias tagged back in and hit Tozawa with a sit-out choke slam, then covered for two. Elias applied a mean-looking headlock, wrenching with his entire body. Ryker tagged in and prevented Tozawa from getting to his partner. Tozawa tossed Ryker with a hurricanrana, then made the tag to Carrillo.

Elias tagged in as well, but the fresher Carrillo knocked him down three times. Elias rolled through a sunset flip, but Carrillo took him down with a spinning kick before hitting a standing moonsault into a cover. Ryker ran in to break up the pin. Elias nailed Carrillo with a running knee strike to the head, then covered for two. Ryker tagged in and Carrillo rolled him up for two quick two-counts. Tozawa tagged in and landed a missile drop kick, then ran the ropes. Ryker intercepted Tozawa on the rebound and grounded him with a twisting belly-to-belly suplex for the three-count.

WINNER: Elias & Jaxson Ryker by pinfall in 7:10.

(Meyers’s Analysis: Standard tag match and nothing too exciting. The announcers made more attempts to build up Ryker as a powerhouse.)

SHOW SCORE (0-10): 7.0

Find Mike Meyers on Twitter: @themikeshow42

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S WWE MAIN EVENT REPORT: 2/17 WWE MAIN EVENT REPORT: T-Bar vs. Gulak, Ryker vs. Carrillo, and more